kikihack

I am taking my first cruise in December (QM2) and have port stops at Tortola, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and St. Thomas. I hate group tours so that is out. I also don't like the idea of hitting a public beach on my own without having access to services (food, drink, changing areas). I thought a great idea would be to contact local high end resorts and see if it is possible to get a day rate to hang out there (and possibly have access to a room if available?) That way I could cab there, stay in one spot, and still have access to beach and snorkeling. Has anyone ever tried anything like this (in particular on the islands I have mentioned?)

carylspall

We met a couple who were off to Sandals for the day. They had a terrific time.
They pre-booked it before going on the cruise.

doug_stallings

You can often pay a fee to use the beach and facilities of an all-inclusive hotel, but not all of them sell day-passes. And none of these will include a room. Some high-end resorts will allow you to do this and some won't. But most of the beaches in the Caribbean are public ... this varies by island.

In Barbados, there is a very nice Malibu Beach Club that offers a day-pass for use of its facilities and even throws in drinks, but I don't know if this party atmosphere is what you are looking for.

Often, you can just go to the beach of a non-AI hotel and use their facilities for the price of lunch or drinks at a restaurant. Some charge to rent an umbrella and chair. This is usually not a problem throughout the Caribbean.

In fact, many hotels offer beach days at hotels that include transportation (though you can usually do better booking this on your own).

But you'll also find that many beaches do in fact have facilities and restaurants, so I think you're working under a misconception if you believe that most beaches on these islands are undeveloped.

On St. Thomas, Magens Bay (the island's most beautiful beach) even charges an admission, and there are restrooms and vendors. You could easily go to Cane Garden Bay on Tortola, etc. The one beach I really like on St. Lucia is just opposite the Vigie airport, but it's public and has no facilities, though there is a bar there where you could buy drinks and use the restroom.

kfusto

We go to Sandals whenever we are in a port that has one of their resorts. The fee is 100 per person per day and worth it for us. We spend the whole day, enjoy the beach, pools, watersports, etc. Other resorts do the same, though not all.

On St Thomas, we paid for a chair at Sapphire Beach resort. It is a bit away from the Charlotte Amalie hordes so the taxi was expensive but it was a decent beach and not packed like Magens or Coki.

kikihack

Thanks for the tips. I think when I mentioned services, I was thinking more along the lines of the Four Seasons Nevis or similar (would like to avoid AI's, not for cost, but atmosphere). Still, that's a great idea to go for an extended lunch so I can at least enjoy the atmosphere of a nice land resort and possibly get some ideas for a return visit. Maybe the thing to do is rent a car so I can check out some of the beaches you mentioned without the feeling of being "trapped" when dropped off by a taxi, then find a nice hotel or inn for lunch. I was really surprised when I read in my multiple guidebooks (naturally, Fodors is my favorite!) that driving was not recommended on most of the islands. I've driven all over the Yucatan peninsula on unmarked roads and all throughout Europe and the UK-- could a small Caribbean island really be that much of a problem?